


Familia

by lieutenantseveride (starlordcarisi)



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlordcarisi/pseuds/lieutenantseveride
Summary: this is just kinda a dawsey AU of them adopting kids  i don’t really plan on doing anything else with it and might take it back down later
Relationships: Matthew Casey/Gabriela Dawson
Kudos: 18





	Familia

“Gabby”

She turned around. Her face reading nothing but anger, her eyes welling with tears of sadness, still clouded by her rage at her husband 

“Gabby listen, I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear-“

“You don’t get it Matt, do you?” She snapped back “All I wanted was for us to have a family of our own. We’ve been trying for YEARS and still nothing. Now that I finally have a chance to carry our child again, you don’t want it”

“Gabby I understand, but you CAN’T have one. We lost the baby remember? She didn’t make it. I still carry that guilt with me, it hurts me still that Ryan was stillborn. You have a kid, Riley is here with us. It’s not ideal, it’s just what it is. It’s not fair to him to lose another parent”

“Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and cannot have? This is my body Matt. Whether you like it or not, it’s my choice” 

“Gabby—Listen I get it, I really do-Hey” Matt grabbed her hand “I’m not saying no to be mean, I’m trying to keep you with me. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’ve already lost three of my girls, I can’t lose another. I don’t want you to go before your time” Matt hesitantly replies carefully choosing his words

“You don’t need to babysit me Casey” His last name rolled off her tongue like venom “I can take care of myself”

“I know that...Where are you going?” Matt questioned as he tried to follow her out of the door 

“Don’t follow me” She stormed out slamming the door behind her

Matt sighs after the door was slammed in his face. He rubbed the back of his neck and stared silently, hoping that when he opened the door Gabby would be standing outside it wanting to talk to him. He waited a couple of minutes before checking the door, she was gone. He hadn’t noticed she took her keys, phone, and purse with her. He hated fighting with her over a delicate issue like childbirth. He lost Hallie his first fiancé, he had lost their first born child, a girl...she didn’t make it past six hours, he lost his last girl with Gabby. The stillborn. 

As Matt silently closed the door and turned back inside he was met by two year old Riley who was clutching his stuffed dog “Papa?” He said. Matt’s vision was restored as he knelt down to comfort the scared toddler. The toddler Gabby and Matt fostered after they lost their little girl. 

“I’m here, what’s wrong?”

Riley didn’t speak, he just clutched his animal closer for comfort and looked down at his tiny toes. He heard them fighting. 

Matt touched the little boy’s face and told him it was okay. Even though he wasn’t sure. Riley rarely speaks, he’s rather silent and shy of adults. Even Matt, even Gabby. They’re always patient with him though, it took all of nine months for Riley to call Matt “Papa” and Gabby “Mommy”. Am accomplishment they were both proud of. 

“Want some juice?” Matt asked the scared little boy, Riley nods his head, his big blue eyes meeting his dad’s blues. Matt softly smiled as he lifted the child in the air “Apple or Orange?”

“Owange” 

“Okay” Matt sat the little boy on the counter as he poured some juice into his sippy cup. His tiny hands firmly grasped the cup and Matt watched as he took big gulps of the cold juice. Matt let him finish it before taking him back to bed, he sat with him and read his favorite book, The Cat in the Hat, Gabby read it all the time. 

“Papa and momma fight” Riley spoke up 

Matt felt embarrassed, ashamed even. He doesn’t like fighting in front of him, he doesn’t like it when Riley is exposed to it. He came from a broken home, a home filled with nothing but fighting and abuse. A home Matt himself was accustomed to, but never spoke about. Only his crew on 81 and Gabby knew they full story. 

“We did. Papa is sorry you had to hear it, I’m sorry you saw that. Can you forgive me?” Matt pressed his forehead against Riley’s as the little boy nods his head and Matt places a gentle kiss on his temple before tucking him and his stuffed animal back in bed. 

Matt likes to watch Riley sleep. It brought him peace seeing his baby boy close his eyes and suck his thumb while he slept. He stayed, he rubbed his back and hummed a soft tune to keep the toddler from waking back up. Gabby was the best at it though, she always sung a Dominican tune to Riley or played done music to calm him. He has trouble sleeping, even in a safe environment like the Casey household, he still has nightmares and needs his mom to calm him and cuddle him closely. Matt tried his best though for the time being. 

It had been four hours since Gabby left. She didn’t go anywhere specific, just drove around downtown Chicago. Up and down up and down she went. Anywhere to clear her mind and collect her thoughts. She doesn’t like to fight with her husband. Gabby sat in the park drinking a bottle of water while sat on a park bench. Watching the waters of Lake Michigan gently roll over each other with each shift in the tide. She needed nothing more than to clear her mind. 

Matt was right, she can’t have a baby of their own. She could die. It didn’t sit well with her, all she wanted was to carry a child again, one that didn’t pass away. One that wasn’t a stillborn. She has a family with Matt and Riley, she wanted more. She hated she couldn’t give him a biological baby, not that it mattered to him. He’s content with what he has, Gabby is his miracle, Riley is too. 

“Fuck” Gabby whispered under her breath as she swallowed a mouthful of water. She sighed heavily and got back in her car. Her phone lit up, a text from Matt. “I’ll be here when you’re ready” it read, Gabby didn’t respond. She just stared at the screen, her thumbs preparing to type a reply, but unsure of what to say. She bit the inside of her cheek and looked up trying to fight the tears back as her foot tapped the gas pedal. The car hadn’t been started. Gabby pressed the power button on her phone and watch it lock as she set it in the cup holder. She took another sip of water before starting the car. When she started it, she fixed the mirror. Behind her was a child’s car seat; Riley’s car seat. His blanket still in the seat from the previous day. He left it after falling asleep on the way back from Wisconsin. 

Gabby chuckled as she remembered how excited he was to go to Wisconsin for the weekend. Gabby and Matt has a road trip planned out and were meeting Kelly and Stella there. They also have a little one, the same age as Riley, his name is Shay, after Leslie Shay. Like their dads, the boys are best friends. Their birthdays are just five days apart. Same month, same year. 

She stared into the distance before reversing the car and heading back to the apartment. When she came home it was quiet, Matt was still awake reading books on potty training a toddler boy and childhood development. 

“Hi” Gabby said quietly 

“Hey”

“What uh...whatcha reading?”

“Books on potty training and child development. Just want to understand more about how toddlers develop and of course potty training” 

“Can I?” Gabby motioned to sit next to him 

“Course” Matt moved over on the couch to make room for her, he handed her a book. Gabby read in silence before stopping to break the awkward tension she sensed. 

“Listen I-“ Both of them spoke and chuckled, Matt motioned his head letting Gabby speak first 

She cleared her throat “I’m sorry” She says “I know we have a family now. Don’t think I’m not grateful for it, I just wanted us to have our own baby. We had her and she was gone, Ryan wasn’t even alive anymore...It still hurts me that she’s not here. She would’ve been a great big sister” 

“I know” 

“Part of me feels guilty still even though it’s been two years” Gabby’s voice grew quieter as tears escaped her eyes and splashed onto the sleeves of her shirt, soaking through the fabric. 

“It’s not your fault”

“Do you still blame me?” Gabby turned her head to Matt “For what happened?”

“I never blamed you Gabby. Of course it hurts, it’s going to hurt every June the Ninth, I still feel sick when that day comes around, our little summer baby. But I never blamed you for it, I never will. I know you’re still kicking yourself about it” 

“While I was gone, I just sat in the park and thought would you still love me even if I can’t give you a baby? Would you still love me if I said let’s foster another kid?”

“I’m going to love you regardless Gabby, I didn’t marry you just to have kids. I married you because you complete me, you’re my better half, my everything. My miracle”

Gabby sighed as she wiped her tears away and cleared her throat again “I think we should foster again. We got lucky by fostering Riley and being able to adopt him. I just want us to be good”

“We always will be. No matter what we do, I’ll never stop loving you Gabriela” Matt’s hand was now placed on Gabby’s thigh, she moved his hand and held it as their fingers interlocked. He brought their hands up to his lips and kissed hers. 

“Okay” She replies 

“We’re fostering again?”

“Yes” 

“Alright” Matt smiled and kissed Gabby’s lips “I love you”

“I love you too”

It had been almost a year since they made the decision to foster another kid. Both Gabby and Matt agreed they didn’t care about the age, race, or gender. They just wanted another child. 

Gabby received a call one day from the agency, Matt was busy giving Riley a bath. Gabby came into the bathroom while Matt was drying the fussy toddler off who was kicking at his dad. He didn’t like the towel much, nor being dried off. Matt kept apologizing while quickly trying to dress him

“Matt?” Gabby called out to him 

“In here—Riley stop!” Matt grew frustrated as Riley let out a scream and started to cry at his dad’s tone of voice “Ugh” Matt shook his head and looked on at the child now screaming bloody murder 

“Hey—Bad time?” Gabby furrows her brow 

“No. Perfect” Matt replies sarcastically trying to reel in the fussy child 

“The agency just called” Gabby sat on the floor “Gimme” She held her hand out for the fluffy yellow towel Matt handed it to her 

“Yeah? What did they say?”

Gabby shushed Riley in her arms as she held him close to her in the towel. His sensitive skin now blotched with red stains and a heat rash that followed the flushed color on his little cheeks, the blue towel that Matt was using was too rough on his little body 

“They have a kid they want to place with us”

“That’s great!” Matt’s face lit up as he used the corner of the towel to dry Riley’s blond hair, the toddler now too occupied by Paw Patrol playing on Gabby’s phone 

“It’s a boy” She said “He’s five”

“When do we meet him?”

“This weekend. They want to see how he and Riley will get along”

“Great” Matt smiled “Is he calm now?” He raised his brow 

“Tell you what, turn on the TV and I’ll bring him to the room” 

“Deal” Matt grunted as he got up off the bathroom floor. Gabby kissed Riley’s head, he was too focused to be bothered with her tender eyes and kiss. Gabby took him to the bedroom and dressed him his eyes glued to the TV, he didn’t fuss. 

It was now Saturday morning, their car ride to the park was filled with Riley mumbling the lyrics to This Love by Maroon 5. Matt and Gabby both sang along, careful to not overshadow him. 

They arrived at the agency and Gabby carried Riley inside, the two year old was sucking his thumb and playing with the zipper on his coat. 

“You’re here for the play date?”

“Yes, I’m Gabriela, this is my husband Matt and our son Riley”

“Right this way” They followed the woman to the back room “If you want to be in the room when the boys play you are more than welcome to be”

“Thanks” Matt and Gabby both said, Gabby set Riley down on the floor and removed his coat “Have fun and be nice sweet boy”

Riley went into the room to play with the five year old boy. The boys sat in the room playing together, building with blocks and legos. The woman returned with a file “Louie Thompson, age five”

Gabby and Matt smiled widely watching the boys get along. 

“Can he come with us?” Matt asked 

“It’ll take a little while, but seeing his well the boys are playing and how much you two are eager to take him home...maybe we can expedite it”

It had been three months since the play date took place. Matt was on shift, Gabby was at the doctor’s office with Riley getting his checkup done. When Matt came home the next morning, Gabby was beaming with excitement and joy. Matt knew something was up, he just wasn’t sure what it was. 

“Tell me” Matt pleaded, eager to find out the good news Gabby was waiting to share. She sat him down on the couch and revealed to him that Louie was coming home Thursday. Matt nearly sobbed. They spent all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday putting his room together and getting everything he could possibly need. When Louie arrived on Thursday afternoon, Riley wouldn’t leave him alone. He adored his new big brother and the two boys got along just as well as they did the first day they met. 

That weekend Gabby and Matt celebrated a new addition to the family, they took a plethora of pictures, only a few had been posted on Gabby’s private account.

Both Gabby and Matt were sitting on the couch with the boys in their laps. They were waiting House Hunters with the television barely above mute. The boys were asleep, Riley in Matt’s lap, Louie in Gabby’s. They just stared at them, watching them sleep soundly for possibly the first time in a while. As much as Gabby and Matt needed these boys, the boys needed each other more. 

They didn’t care about being an interracial family, it was their family. 

The family they had always dreamed of.


End file.
